Hookpad vs Songzap

Hookpad is browser-based songwriting software for composing chord progressions, melodies and songs with integrated music theory tools. Its chord suggestions draw on music theory and data from 75,000 songs. The free plan includes Smart Guides, transposition, tempo and looping, piano playback and cloud saving; advanced chord palettes and search are limited to one-minute previews. Standard adds more than 500 instruments, 11 band templates, up to four melody voices, lyrics, mixing, recording and MIDI input, along with MIDI and MP3 export. Users can also export sheet music, guitar tablature and lead sheets. MIDI exports can be imported into digital audio workstations such as GarageBand, Logic and Pro Tools. Audio import supports WAV and MP3; MIDI input requires a browser with Web MIDI API support. Optional Aria can suggest chords, melodies or both. Hookpad works in a browser and offers tablet touch mode, but is not suitable for smartphone editing. Standard costs $7.99 a month, billed monthly; the optional Aria add-on costs $14.99 a month, billed monthly.

Songzap is a mobile songwriting and music pre-production app for musicians, songwriters, instrumentalists, singers, and MCs. Its Tracking feature records vocals and instruments through a phone microphone, and supports audio import and bouncing. The free plan includes four-track linear recording, an arrangement editor, an AI Beats Designer, and a mixer with pan and reverb; concurrent editing is limited to five songs. Songzap V3 uses real-time AI to isolate a new performance from playback bleed when recording without headphones. Autozap analyzes recordings and generates accompaniment such as drums, bass, and keys. Premium adds a four-track loop recorder, AI bass and pad/keys composers, compression and EQ, MIDI export, and cloud backup and sync. It costs $20 a year and raises concurrent editing to 100 songs. Users can export a mixed audio file, and the export guide also covers recordings, MIDI, lyrics, notes, and arrangement data. Premium archives and MIDI exports are intended for transferring song assets into a DAW or studio. The App Store listing describes Songzap as designed for iPhone and not verified for macOS, although macOS is listed among its platforms.